J&K Bank Scam: ED Grills Ex-CM Omar Abdullah

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been questioning former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and vice president of National Conference Omar Abdullah here in the national capital in connection with Jammu and Kashmir Bank scam case, officials said.

Abdullah appeared before the investigators around 11 am at ED’s headquarters. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader was earlier summoned by the ED and was asked to visit its office on Thursday here.

The ED officials are taking the statement of Abdullah who is accused of opening several accounts in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank with the help of his close aides including Ahsan Mirza, who was authorized to sign cheques.

Mirza, though not an elected office bearer, was appointed “treasurer” of JK Cricket Association (JKCA) by Abdullah its president, while parallel accounts of JKCA were opened in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in connivance with a senior executive of the bank, claimed sources.

The role of the senior executive of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, now retired, is also under scrutiny for helping the former Chief Minister open the accounts with the bank based on “inadequate” documents.

In 2007, the then-elected treasurer of JKCA Mir Manzoor Gazanfar, brought these “illegal” transactions to the notice of JKCA president Abdullah who allegedly ignored the anomalies.

Gazanfar has informed ED that it was Mirza, who was appointed treasurer in 2003 and was transferring the money to unauthorized accounts at Abdullah’s instance.

The ED had also questioned Abdullah in July 2019 based on the statements of Mirza and his other associates who had earlier been questioned by the agency. (ANI)